The Metropolis

Another view of Stokey Sainsburys protests: just typical nimby middle class moaning

Mike Pollitt | Thursday 21 July, 2011 12:33

Last week I came down on the side of the anti-Sainsburys protests in Stoke Newington. But not everyone agrees.

Remi Makinde at Hackney Hive reckons it’s all just a load of middle class moaning:

If you ask me, the objections have everything to do with the value of the homes and the cultural, social, and economic hegemony that Stoke Newington’s middle-class have created – they will wage battle on anyone or group [sic], they feel threatens their insular urban “village” life and their over exaggerated romanticism of Stoke Newington.

Jamie from the Stokey Local campaign has shot back a lightning quick response:

Our problem is that a supermarket of this size is completely out of kilter with the existing retail makeup of the local area and it is difficult to see how the proposed development is striking a “nice balance”.

I’m with the middle class moaners on this one – balance is the key word. There are enough supermarkets in the area that people can already shop at one if they want. Let Stoke Newingtonites eat their organic cake – a diversity of shops which caters predominantly to the white urban middle class is still better than a characterless high street.

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